Mustard white butterfly

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Mustard white butterfly
Mustard white butterfly

Mustard white butterfly

Systematics
Class : Insects (Insecta)
Order : Butterflies (Lepidoptera)
Family : Whitelings (Pieridae)
Subfamily : Legume whites (Dismorphiinae)
Genre : Leptidea
Type : Mustard white butterfly
Scientific name
Leptidea sinapis
( Linnaeus , 1758)
courting mustard whites

The mustard white , also ink-spot white or legume white , is a species complex of three closely related butterfly species from the family of white flies (Pieridae). Until 1989, all populations were assigned to the species Leptidea sinapis (Linnaeus, 1758). Then it was recognized that it was a complex of two cryptic species that can only be reliably distinguished on the basis of their mating organs. The newly recognized species was named Leptidea reali Reissinger, 1989 (synonym: Leptidea lorkovicii Réal, 1988). In 2011 it turned out that what was previously called L. reali is actually a complex of two species that cannot be distinguished morphologically at all, but only on the basis of their DNA sequence. The third species was separated as Leptidea juvernica Williams, 1946. While L. sinapis and L. juvernica are widespread and also occur in Central Europe, L. reali is restricted to a small area in southwestern Europe.

features

butterfly

The mustard white butterfly is a rather small white butterfly with a wing length of 19 to 24 millimeters. Body and wings are predominantly scaled white. Drawing and coloring differ between the sexes ( sexual dimorphism ) and also between the generations ( seasonal dimorphism ). In the male, the wing tops are pure white with a black spot on the tip of the forewings. This is larger in the first generation and usually extends to the edge of the wing. In the second generation it is usually smaller but more intensely colored and round, whereby it does not reach the edge. In the female, the spot is largely reduced, mostly some black scales are mixed in at the wing tip, but these can also be completely absent more rarely (referred to as var. Erysimi ). The underside of the wing has extensive greenish-yellow scales and often bears unclear, fuzzy, somewhat darker spots or bands. The bulb of the antennae is predominantly black in color in both sexes. The tip is out of focus maroon brown with a clearly recognizable, white spot on the underside. The moths usually sit with their wings folded.

Leptidea sinapis and L. juvernica (+ L. reali ) show a certain difference in the development of the black apical spot in the fore wing in the males of the first generation. The leading edge of the spot is (with typical expression) rather concave in L. juvernica (the spot on the wing edge is extended forward with a black bar), in L. sinapis it is more convex (the spot on the wing edge is indented by a white stripe pointing towards the tip). L. juvernica is often drawn a little darker overall than L. sinapis . However, these features are only statistical and only become apparent when comparing larger series. Individual animals cannot be reliably identified using the drawing.

The reliable differentiation between L. sinapis and L. juvernica / L. reali is only possible on the basis of the male and female mating organs. The males are enclosed in a sclerotized capsule. The aedeagus of L. sinapis is significantly shorter (never more than 1.74 millimeters) than that of the other two species (longer than 1.82 millimeters). In the female, this corresponds to a shorter ductus bursae; this consists in the genus of a simple tube that is slightly widened upwards.

The other Leptidea species are morphologically very similar and difficult to distinguish. In Central Europe, only the eastern mustard white , Leptidea morsei (Fenton, 1881), is to be considered, which occurs in the far east of Austria (Burgenland and east of Lower Austria and Styria), in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. This species probably lives, at least in the area, monophagous on the blackening pea ( Lathyrus niger ).

Remarkably, the species L. sinapis turned out to be unstable with regard to its chromosome number. A genetic kline with 2n = 106 in Spain to 2n = 56 in Kazakhstan could be detected over the distribution area. The number of chromosomes was also unequal within individual populations. Even single individuals were found to be chromosomally heterozygous. The meiosis was not affected.

Eggs and caterpillars

The eggs are yellowish white in color, longitudinally ribbed and spindle-shaped. The caterpillars of the species are bright green in color. In the middle of the back a wide, green colored band is delimited on both sides by light stripes. On the side there is an alternating white and yellow stripe. The three species are indistinguishable in the caterpillar stage.

Dolls

The overwintering takes place as a girdle doll on a stem. The dolls are yellow ocher and have a red and yellow side stripe. According to Friberg, the sister species can be distinguished in the pupal stage. According to this, the antennae of the pupa in L. sinapis are predominantly white, with a distinct pink center line. In L. juvernica they are predominantly pink with indistinct white highlights towards the edge.

Spread and endangerment

Leptidea sinapis and Leptidea juvernica are widespread in the Palearctic : They occur from Western Europe to Eastern China. Leptidea reali , on the other hand, is limited to an area that includes the north of the Iberian Peninsula and south-west France and the south of Italy; the exact distribution of this species is insufficiently known due to the recent splitting off. The other two species occur together (sympatric) almost in their entire range, but mostly differ locally in the choice of microhabitat . In the British Isles, L. juvernica is said to be restricted to Ireland, while L. sinapis is also found in England. The distribution of both types is z. B. in Austria, the Netherlands or Poland. For Germany, the distribution is insufficiently known. In principle, both species can be assumed to occur in the entire European range, including the southern Scandinavian region.

In larger parts of Europe a more or less noticeable decline in the known populations of L. sinapis has been reported, often accompanied by an area expansion of L. juvernica (e.g. in Poland). In England, L. sinapis is considered threatened and is the subject of a species relief program. In Germany, the collective species is widespread in southern Germany, but not often, it becomes rarer towards northern Germany and is completely absent in the area of ​​the North Sea coast. In Baden-Württemberg the population is declining, but the species is not endangered. In Bavaria it is on the pre-warning list.

Ecology and way of life

Two mustard whites mating

The mustard white as a collective species is an inhabitant of sunny locations on the edge of meadows, poor and dry grass , paths and bushes. It can also be found at the edges of the forest, in sparse forests and in natural gardens. He avoids cool and humid areas with an annual mean below 6 ° C and an average total rainfall of over 1400 millimeters. There are contradicting statements regarding the habitat of the sympatric species L. sinapis and L. juvernica . In parts of the range, one of the species is widespread and common and the other a rare habitat specialist. However, this is reversed in other regions. Information on preferred habitats and preferred host plants should therefore not be transferred uncritically to other regions. For example, a preferred occurrence in meadows or in sparse forests is given regionally for one of the species. These differences could not be confirmed in other regions or even vice versa. There is no evidence of habitat separation for Germany: both species are not infrequently distributed side by side in the same habitat. One mechanism that contributes to habitat segregation could be the species' specific mating mode. The separation of the species is not only difficult for the human investigator, but also for the males of the butterfly species themselves. It was shown that males show courtship behavior towards females of both species (if they choose directly, females of their own species may be somewhat preferred). However, the females only accept partners of their own species as mating partners. As a result of the nuisance caused by attempts at mating by males of the foreign species, females of the species that are rarer in the habitat are disadvantaged, which has been proven experimentally. There is thus a mechanism that can amplify random differences in density. This can lead to (rather randomly controlled) habitat specialization.

The name mustard white is misleading because, unlike other white species, the species neither live as a butterfly nor as a caterpillar of cruciferous vegetables . The egg-laying takes place exclusively on butterflies (Fabaceae, formerly also: legumes). Weidemann had therefore proposed (before the division into several species) to use the name Leguminosen-Weißling .

Before laying eggs, the plants are inspected very carefully so that only Fabaceae are accepted (but not all). The most important egg-laying plants include

In studies in Austria, females of Leptidea juvernica preferred the meadow pea , while Leptidea sinapis preferred horn clover. This preference only applies to the population investigated there and is e.g. B. not with the Swedish observations.

Flight and caterpillar times

All three species form two generations from spring to summer, in cooler regions regionally only one generation. The first generation flies to the blossom of the meadow foam herb ( Cardamine pratensis ). The slightly smaller, second generation moths can be observed from mid-July.

swell

Individual evidence

  1. a b Vlad Dinca, Vladimir A. Lukhtanov, Gerard Talavera, Roger Vila (2011): Unexpected layers of cryptic diversity in wood white Leptidea butterflies. Nature Communications 2: 234 doi : 10.1038 / ncomms1329
  2. cf. Anja Freese (2005): Wing coloring in Leptidea sinapis and Leptidea reali . online: PDF
  3. cf. Illustrations with identification aid of the Lepiforum
  4. Helmut Höttinger (2004): Distribution, ecology, endangerment and protection of the mustard whitefly Leptidea morsei (FENTON, 1881) in Austria, especially in Burgenland (Lepidoptera, Pieridae). Joannea Zoologica 6: 187-206.
  5. Vladimir A Lukhtanov, Vlad Dincă, Gerard Talavera, Roger Vila (2011): Unprecedented within-species chromosome number cline in the Wood White butterfly Leptidea sinapis and its significance for karyotype evolution and speciation. BMC Evolutionary Biology 11: 109.
  6. W. Düring: The Leguminosen-Weißling. In: Species portraits of butterflies in Rhineland-Palatinate. BUND RLP, April 2, 2018, accessed on July 20, 2020 (German).
  7. Magne Friberg (2007): A difference in pupal morphology between the sibling species Leptidea sinapis and L. reali (Pieridae). Nota lepidepterologica 30 (1): 61-64.
  8. UK butterflies: Cryptic Wood White
  9. UK butterflies: Wood White
  10. Gernot Embacher (1996): Contribution to the distribution and biology of Leptidea sinapis (LINNAEUS, 1758) and L. reali REISSINGER, 1989 (Lepidoptera: Pieridae, Dismorphiinae). Journal of the Association of Austrian Entomologists 48: 107-112.
  11. Frans Cupedo & F. Wim Hoen (2006): Leptidea sinapis and Leptidea reali (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) in The Netherlands. Entomological Reports 66 (4): 118-123
  12. Konrad Sachanowicz, Agniedzka Wower, Jaroslaw Buszko (2011): Past and present distribution of the cryptic species Leptidea sinapis and L. reali (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) in Poland and its implications for the conservation of these butterflies. European Journal of Entomology 108: 235-242.
  13. MS Warren & NAD Bourn (1998): Species Action Plan Wood White, Leptidea sinapis. Butterfly Conservation (Wareham, Dorset)
  14. a b Günter Ebert (Ed.): The Butterflies of Baden-Württemberg Volume 1, Tagfalter I (Knight Butterflies (Papilionidae), Weißlinge (Pieridae), Edelfalter (Nymphalidae)), Ulmer Verlag Stuttgart 1993. ISBN 3-800-13451-9
  15. Ralf Bolz & Adi Geyer (editor) (2003): Red list of endangered butterflies (Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera) Bavaria. Bavarian State Office for the Environment.
  16. Magne Friberg, Martin Olofsson, David Berger, Bengt Karlsson, Christer Wiklund (2008): Habitat choice precedes host plant choice - niche separation in a species pair of a generalist and a specialist butterfly. Oikos 117: 1337-1344. doi : 10.1111 / j.0030-1299.2008.16740.x
  17. M. Friberg, O. Leimar, C. Wiklund (2013): Heterospecific courtship, minority effects and niche separation between cryptic butterfly species. Journal of evolutionary Biology (online before print) doi : 10.1111 / jeb.12106
  18. Hans-Josef Weidemann: Butterfly: observe, determine , Naturbuch-Verlag Augsburg 1995, ISBN 3-894-40115-X
  19. Anja Freese & Konrad Fiedler (2002): Experimental evidence for specific distinctness of the two wood white butterfly taxa, Leptidea sinapis and L. reali (Pieridae). Nota Lepideptorologica 25 (1): 39-59.

literature

  • Tom Tolman, Richard Lewington: The butterflies of Europe and Northwest Africa , Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co, Stuttgart 1998, ISBN 3-440-07573-7 .
  • Manfred Koch , Wolfgang Heinicke: We identify butterflies. 3. Edition. Neumann, Radebeul 1991, ISBN 3-7402-0092-8 .

Web links

Commons : Mustard White  - Album with pictures, videos and audio files